Sewing machine with intermittent shirring attachment



May 15, 1951 A. L. PLAMoNnoN :TAL 2,552,647

SEWING MACHINE wrmmmfmm SHIRRING A'rmcfm'r Filed May 19, 1949 INVENTO May l5, 1951 A, Mmmmman E1-AL 2,552,647

SEWING MACHINE: wI'rH INTBRIIITTENT SHIRRING A'rrAcmEN'r Filed May 19, 1949 l3o Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS MMM/W46* VVA/gip!) Ilz @www May 15, 1951 A. L. PLAMoNooN ETAL 2,552,647

SEWING uAcHINE WITH INTERMITTENT SHIRRING'ATTACMNT Filed Nay 19, 1949 3 SheetspSheet 3- Patented May 15, 1951 UNITED SEWING MACHINE WITH INTERMITTENT SHIRRING ATTACHMENT Arthur L. Plamondon, Kenneth H. Wakefield, and Walter A. Plamondon, Auburndale, Mass.

Application May 19, 1949, Serial No. 94,128

6 Claims. l

This invention relates to sewing machines, and more especially to high speed machines having intermittent shirring attachments, although it is capable of more general application.

It has been found in practice that occasions arise when it is highly desirable to remove the separating blade of a shirring attachment to a position far distant from its operative or shirring position below the under side of the presser foot, as for instance when a closed sleeve is to be sewed to a gown.

It is, therefore, one of the objects of our invention to pivotly attach the separating blade to a support block capable of swinging movement in a horizontal plane of about 180 in order that the blade will not interfere with the operation of the machine for purposes other than shirring.

Other objects are to simplify the construction, reduce the cost, and increase the eiciency of intermittent shirring attachments of sewing machines.

One embodiment of our invention that has given goed results in practice is shown in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an overseaming sewing machine of the Merrow type that embodies our invention.

Fig. 2 is a left side elevation of the machine shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the lever that governs the intermittent shirring mechanism attached to its support.

Fig. 4 is an end view of said lever and its support.

Fig. 5 is a side View of the governing lever.

Fig. 6 is a plan View of the presser foot.

Fig. '7 is a side elevation of the presser foot.

Fig. 8 is a plan View of the separating blade holder block with said blade attached.

Fig. 9 `is a side view of said block and blade.

In the particular drawings selected for disclosing our invention and the underlying principle thereof, said drawings to be considered as illustrative only and not restrictive, Iii is the base of the Well known Merrow overscaming machine to which, for purposes of illustration only, our improved intermittent shirring attachment is applied. Secured to said base are the several elements of an overseam machine, which, being well understood by those skilled in the art, require no detailed description herein.

The inner end of the separating-blade holderblock II is pivotally mounted by the stud I2 for swinging movementrthrough an arc of about 180 to the bracket I3 which is secured to the frame cap I4 by the screws I5. Attached to said block by the .screw I6 is an arm II through the outer end of which is threaded an adjusting screw I8 operable by the knurled head I9 to force the free end thereof against the resilient separating blade 2B secured by the screws 2| to the ledge .22 of said block for the purpose of bringing the outer end 22 of said blade 2l! (Figs. 2 and 8) into shirring position for va continuous shirring operation.

In the present instance the shirring is accomplished by the well known diierential feed-dog method, the feed-dogs being indicated 23, 24, of which the rear dog travels at a lower speed than the forward dog 23.

For intermittent shirring, the position of the separating blade is governed by the lever 25 (Figs. l and 3) pivoted by the screw 215 in the bifurcated upper end of the support member 21 which is mounted on the machine frame for vertical adjustment by the screws 28, 29 disposed in the slots 35, 3|, respectively. A compression spring 32 normally maintains the lever in its uppermost position against the stop aorded by the screw 32. The lever 25 may be connected to a foot pedal (not shown) byl a chain (not shown) passing through the hole 33 in said lever. Secured to the underside of the separating blade by the screw 34 and bolt 35 is a horizontally disposed U-shaped member 36, the lower leg 37 of which is located for cooperation with the free end of the lever 25 when the latter is depressed, thereby placing the free end of the separating blade into shirring position.

The presser foot 40 is pivoted to the presserfoot yoke 4I by the screw 42 passing through the latter and the bifurcated inner end of the presser foot. .By the bar 43 controlled by the spring retracted latch `44, the presser foot, notched as shown at 45 to receive said bar, is maintained in operative position.. The free end 40 of Vthe presser foot is given a pronounced upward curvature which terminates in a at portion 4ilrom which rises an arm 40" substantially perpendicular thereto. The curved free end of the presser foot forms `with the separating blade dis posed beneath it a wide open mouth to receive the fabric to be stitched or the fabric to which the shirred material is to be sewed.

The machine is a three-thread machine, having one needle thread and two looper threads. A portion of the curved needle is indicated at 46. A portion of the needle thread take up appears at 41. The work plate 48 is pivo'ted Yat 49 to a support 5D near the back of the frame. The

two-blade cutter mechanism is indicated at 5|, the differential feed-dog arrangement at 52, and the main shaft at 53.

While the machine has been particularly described, it is to be understood that our invention is not limited to use in connection therewith. Y

Operation: The parts being in the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2, fabric to be shirred is placed on the work plate and drawn through the space between the feed-dogs and the separating blade, and the goods to which the shirred fabric is to be sewed is passed into the space between said blade and the presser foot. The engaging lever 25 is depressed thereby forcing the iree end of the separating blade downwardly to press said fabric against the feed-dogs. The fabric will be shirred and simultaneously sewed to said goods until the engaging lever is released.

For continuous shirring, the separating blade is held down by turning the'screw i8 against the same. It will be noted that the separating-blade holder-block comprises three sections of provgressively diminishing heights or thicknesses, viz., the right hand section which supports the arm l1 and spaces the screw i8 when in inoperative position away from the blade, the in- When the machine is to be used for stitching Y:

or overseaming the separating-blade holderblock is swung through an arc of about 180 and rests against the right hand side of the frame as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. been found to be a great convenience in all kinds of work that does not involveshirring.

Having thus described an illustrative embodiment of our invention without, however, limiting ourselves thereto, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In arsewing Vmachine having a frame cap, a shirring attachment comprising a bracket secured to said frame cap, a separating-blade holder-block, means pivoting said holder-block to said bracket for swinging movement in a'horizontal plane, shirring mechanism attached to said machine, and a separating blade secured to said holder-block, said blade being disposed for cooperation with said mechanism when said holderblock is in one position and for non-cooperation said holder-block is in another This has.

of said presser foot when said holder-block is in one position and to be far removed therefrom when said holder-block is swung approximately one hundred and eighty degrees away from the position rst mentioned.

3. In a sewing machine having a frame cap, a shirring attachment comprising a bracket secured to said frame cap, a separating-blade holder-block, said holder-block being formed in three sections of progressively diminishing thicknesses, pivoting means passing through the inner end of the thickest section of said holderblock and said bracket, an arm secured to said thickest section and overlying the other two sections, a separating blade of resilient material secured to the intermediate section of said holderblock, screw means threaded to said arm near the outer end thereof for engagement with said blade and the third or thinnest section of said support underlying said blade at the point of engagement of said screw means with said blade.

4. In a sewing machine having a frame cap, a shirring attachment comprising a bracket secured to said frame cap, a separating-blade holder-block, means pivoting said holder block to said frame cap, a separating blade secured to said holder block, a U-shaped member secured to the under side of said blade at a point intermediate the ends thereof and spring retracted lever means for engaging said member at will for depressing said blade.

5. In a sewing machine having a frame cap, a shirring attachment comprising a bracket Asecured to said frame' cap, a separating-blade holder-block, pivotally connected to said bracket for swinging movement of substantially one hundred and eighty degrees in a horizontal plane, a separating blade secured to said holder-block intermediate the ends thereof, means attached to said holder-block for depressing said blade for continuous shirring, and means carried Yby said blade for cooperation with means for depressing said blade at will for intermittent shirring.

6. In a sewing machine having a frame cap, a shirring attachment comprising a bracket secured to said frame cap, a separating-blade holder-block, a presser foot, means pivoting said holder-block to said `bracket for swinging movement in a horizontal plane, shirring mechanism attached to said machine, and a separating blade secured to said holder-block, said blade being disposed to rest lightly against the under side of said presser foot when said holder-block is in one position and to be far removed therefrom when said holder-block is swung approximatelyone hundred and eighty degrees away the position iirst mentioned, said presser foot having an upwardly curved end to form with said blade a wide open mouth to receive the fabric to be stitched.

ARTHUR L. PLAMONDON. KENNETH H. WAKEFIELD. WALTER A. PLAMON'DON.

No references cited. 

